Photography News: Fuji Half-Frame Rumor, Canon Deals

Last week, we published my first impressions of the new Nikon Z5 II. This Monday, I spent another day with this camera to refine and confirm my feelings. And yes, I think I’m pretty confident now. You don’t need a deep bank account to photograph wildlife these days, even on full-frame. I’m really happy that this great hobby is becoming more affordable.

What else did this week bring in terms of photography news? Let’s take a look.

Recent Announcements

• SongRaw AF 50mm f/1.2 Moonlit: Debut of an autofocus-equipped, super-fast lens from a new Chinese company, designed for cameras with E, L, and Z mounts. The lens has a declickable aperture ring, an AF/MF switch and, like Sony’s 50mm f/1.2, a relatively modest 72mm filter thread (Nikon’s is 82mm). Inside the aluminum barrel are 15 optical elements arranged in 10 groups (including 2 aspherical). Weighing in at 900g, it is about halfway between the Nikon and Sony. However, the lens will lighten your wallet considerably less than any of its competitors. The expected price of around $1,000 is about half the price of either of its rivals.
• ProGrade Digital PG30 Ultra Portable and ProGrade Digital PG10.5 Pro Mini SSDs: An established memory card manufacturer has entered the market with two models of portable SSDs. The smaller of the two, the PG30, is similar in shape and size to a standard flash drive. It is available with capacities ranging from 500GB to 2TB and write speeds of 1000MB/s. The larger PG10.5 resembles ProGrade’s own card reader and is available in 1TB, 2TB and 4TB capacities, with transfer speeds of up to 4000MB/s. The 1TB version is priced at $140 for the PG30 and $180 for the PG10.5.
• Lexar Armor Gold UHS-II SDXC: In my experience, Lexar used to have problems with the mechanical durability of its cards. This seems to be a thing of the past. Its new Armor Gold line (capacities from 64GB to 1TB) can take a lot of really rough treatment. Its stainless steel casing is marketed as being 37 times stronger than a standard SD card, and Lexar says it has been tested to withstand a force of 370 Newtons. Speeds are more or less the classic 280MB/s read and 205MB/s write. The 256GB gold standard costs $120.

The Rumor Mill

Fujifilm is preparing a new half-frame camera

It looks like the new vertical half-frame format is becoming the new standard. After the Pentax 17 film camera, which was introduced in June 2024, Fujifilm could be soon to announce a camera with the same format. The main difference is that while the Pentax uses 35mm film, the Fujifilm will shoot on a Sony digital sensor.

A photo posted on Fuji Addict shows a very classic, almost Leica-like design. However, the top dial is not used for shutter speed, but only for exposure compensation (+/- 3EV). Like Pentax, Fujifilm will be targeting less advanced photographers who prefer a stylish design, small size and simple controls.

The lens with a maximum aperture of f/2.4 is rumored to be either a 14-25mm zoom or a 17.5mm prime. Taking into account the 2x crop factor, the focal length would be equivalent to 28-50mm or a 35mm prime. The lens has a noticeable aperture ring. The leaked image also reveals the presence of a flash, hot shoe, top display, microphones and viewfinder.

Via Fuji Addict

Canon super-telephoto zoom: the rumor odyssey continues

It’s been a couple of years now since rumors of Canon’s much-anticipated super-telephoto zoom lens started spreading around the Internet. Some may even have spotted it in the field. A true unicorn of a lens. Everyone is talking about it, but few have actually seen it.

Originally, it was going to be the RF 200-500mm f/4L IS USM. Then, perhaps as an expression of wishful thinking, the lens was to get a built-in zoom. Later, the expected maximum aperture of f/4 was pessimistically downgraded, and there was also no more talk about built-in teleconverter. So what are the current expectations for the future lens?

The hypothetical upcoming lens should be the RF 300-600mm f/5.6L IS USM. If this is to be the last version, I think a lens like this will fly off the shelves like hotcakes. In fact, a similar lens is hard to find in Canon’s line-up – a middle ground between price, reach, and maximum aperture. I suppose even the weight of such a lens could be safely well below the psychological limit of 3kg. If this is the final version, I think I’d like it. What about you?

Via Canon Rumors

Viltrox 35mm f/1.2 LAB for Nikon next week

Viltrox is expected to officially announce its super-fast 35mm lens of its flagship LAB series next week. The lens will feature programmable buttons, an aperture ring, a colour display, and a 77mm filter thread. Sony users were originally expected to be first in line. However, it now looks like Nikon shooters will get to see it at the same time. And while we’re in the Rumor Mill section, perhaps I can reveal that you’ll be able to read a review of the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 on Photography Life soon. It will be very interesting to compare it with the expected Viltrox newcomer.

Via Nikon Rumors and Photo Rumors

Good Deals and New Sales

Canon is reportedly going to respond to Trump’s “legendary” tariffs by raising its US prices in the near future. If that happens, any price at which you can currently buy anything from Canon might seem like a good deal in hindsight. For now, though, I’ve picked out a few cameras and lenses that deviate from normal pricing in a consumer-friendly direction.

Both B&H and Adorama are closed this week for Passover and will reopen April 21. You can still add items to your cart, but I’m including Amazon links for the products below today in case you need the equipment to arrive sooner.

Cameras

• Canon EOS R3 was $4,999, now $3,999 (at Amazon)
• Canon EOS R5 Mark II was $4,299, now $3,999 (at Amazon)
• Canon EOS R6 Mark II was $2,199, now $1,999 (at Amazon)
• Canon EOS R8 was $1,499, now $1,299 (at Amazon)
• Canon EOS R7 was $1,619, now $1,519 (at Amazon)

Lenses

• Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L was $2,899, now $2,699 (at Amazon)
• Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L was $2,799, now $2,599 (at Amazon)
• Canon RF 70-200mm f/4 L was $1,599, now $1,499 (at Amazon)
• Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L was $2,399, now $2,199 (at Amazon)
• Canon RF 28-70mm f/2 L was $3,099, now $2,899 (at Amazon)
• Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L was $2,399, now $2,199 (at Amazon)
• Canon RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 was $549, now $449 (at Amazon)
• Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L was $1,399, now $1,299 (at Amazon)
• Canon RF 135mm f/1.8 L was $2,099, now $1,899 (at Amazon)
• Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 L was $2,299, now $2,199 (at Amazon)

Other Pages of Interest

Jim Brandenburg’s stunning photographs were a huge and seemingly unreachable inspiration for me when I was just starting out with a camera – and honestly, they still are. When I close my eyes, I can clearly see that iconic image of a white wolf leaping across ice floes somewhere in the Arctic. Sadly, he passed away this week at age 79. Who knows what distant and wild worlds he’s photographing now. As a memorial to his talent, you can enjoy some of his earthly works here on this page. Not enough? I also recommend this inspiring video “Chased by the Light: A Photographic Journey with Jim Brandenburg“.

I think it’s important to always have something to look forward to – a sort of “carrot” dangling in front of us to get us through the everyday routine. This week I hung one of those sweet carrots right in front of my own eyes. Don’t worry, you’ll get a chance to take a bite if you want. A few days ago I made plans to go shooting in the Alps with the fantastic Austrian photographer Bernhard Schubert. And, of course, I’ll take my camera to film another episode of our online workshop series, where another award-winning wildlife photographer will share some knowledge and techniques with our readers.

A recent article from Canon Rumors gives a whole new meaning to the term ‘breaking news’. The Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM lens has quickly become a popular telephoto choice among Canon shooters given the sheer reach and $1900 price. Unfortunately, there have now been a few reports of this telephoto zoom literally breaking in two pieces. In one case, it even happened inside a closed camera bag (whose owner did not fall off a cliff with it). To Canon’s credit, they took responsibility and replaced the damaged piece, and presumably they’re looking into the causes and potential solutions for future copies of this lens.

Photo Theme Challenge, Week #97

Last week’s theme was night, and you can see the results in this thread. Thank you to everyone for your submissions! This week’s theme is leaves, and you can submit your results in this thread by Saturday, April 19, 2024!

Week #96 Results

Let’s check out some of the shots we received for the “night” theme, starting with Mauro70’s photo:

I love the way the foreground is made prominent by the thousands of fireflies!

vanaf141414’s photo:

The northern lights are a classic part of night photography, and here they lead to a cozy house in the cold.

AndrewGusew’s photo:

The trees covered in snow attract the most attention, and I like how there’s an echo of a tree in the bright disc of the moon. Nice!

Thanks everyone for submitting their photos in the challenge, and we hope to see more next week in the leaves theme.